Oil consumption increase.

[griff59]

My Griff is a 95 500 with 81,000k
I'm noticing an increase in oil consumption, I only ever do about 40/50 miles per trip out, on my favourite runs. The last top up was about a month ago, I checked it yesterday and it was about three quarters full, I had to put a pint in to bring it back up to full level. I've only done about a hundred miles maximum since the last top up.
The exhaust is very clean, no blue smoke, but I'm just a bit worried.

[Aussie John]

It shouldn't take a pint if it was still 3/4 full between the low and full marks. if this were right it means 4 pints between low and high, mine is only about 1 liter.Worth checking the level again in case it is now overfilled. cheers, John PS do you always check it on level ground and give it a goodly time to settle?

[phillpot]

I'd be doing a few more "top up and measure", over some longer distances before I got too worried.

[griff59]

I check in the garage, level ground, in the morning after the car has stood all night., that's the only time I can get anything that looks like a clean reading.
At other times, like a couple of hours after a run the dipstick is incredibly difficult to read, with just a big smudge right up past the full mark, on the reverse, the side with no markings, there is a sort of clean line, I really hope I haven't over filled it, but it's just difficult to tell.

[Hedgehopper]

I find that you get a cleaner, easier to read dipstick if you let the engine stand but with the dipstick out. This seems to drain the tube and stop the oil smearing.

[griff59]

Hedgehopper said:

I find that you get a cleaner, easier to read dipstick if you let the engine stand but with the dipstick out. This seems to drain the tube and stop the oil smearing.

Thanks for that, I'll give it a try.

[phillpot]

griff59 said:

I really hope I haven't over filled it, but it's just difficult to tell.

A bit too much shouldn't be a problem unless it's so much the crank hits the oil as it rotates, but you'd soon hear that!

[griff59]

The first pic shows the reverse side, the second shows it half way between the min/max mark, how else am I to interpretate that? Looks like it needs about another pint.

[phillpot]

It doesn't "need" any, is is well within the manufacturers limits.

[griff59]

phillpot said:

It doesn't "need" any, is is well within the manufacturers limits.

Thanks, the tip about taking the stick out and letting the tube drain works, I get a far clearer reading.
I'll see how it goes after a few miles, if it drops drastically. I added about another pint, it's still well below full, but I'll leave it at that.

[BIG DUNC]

Unless you are about to embark on a long trip, or do a track day, then leave it until min before topping it up. That way you get a more accurate feel for how much you are using over a greater distance.

[griff59]

BIG DUNC said:

Unless you are about to embark on a long trip, or do a track day, then leave it until min before topping it up. That way you get a more accurate feel for how much you are using over a greater distance.

I'll do that, and make note of the mileage.